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STEUBENVILLE -- Something will have to give when Catholic Central and Edison get together Saturday inside Harding Stadium.
After starting their season with a win over Columbus Africentric, the Crusaders went against two powerhouses on the road -- falling to Wheeling Central 39-12 and Southern Local 41-7. The Wildcats, meanwhile, are winless in three outings, with losses coming to Southern Local (38-12), Wellsville and Toronto.
The kick for Central's annual homecoming game is set for 7 p.m. This will be the seventh meeting between the Jefferson County rivals, Central holding a 5-1 series lead.
Despite the lack of early success, both coaches believe better days are ahead for their teams.
"There's no question we are heading in the right direction," first-year Central coach Anthony Agresta said. "Scores sometimes can be a little deceiving to the untrained eye. Our kids are executing much better every week.
"We are taking some steps forward, and it's all going to click at some point and everyone is going to see that. We wanted to execute better on the offensive line against Southern and, if anyone wants to sit with me in the film session, I can show them that we absolutely did. We played a pretty stout football team last week, and our front five really fought. I was proud of the young kids."
Shane O'Brien, Edison's second-year grid boss, said his Wildcats continue to be focused on the process.
"We have a pretty good group of older guys who understand we have some younger guys on the field," he said. "We talk a lot about focusing on the process, not the outcome. If you focus on getting better every week, eventually you are going to get the outcome you want.
"Sometimes, that happens when you least expect it. Even with our rough start, our kids still understand that if they keep trusting the process and keep working hard, good things are going to happen."
Through three games, Central's offense is averaging 254 yards and 16 points. Junior quarterback Ryan Gorman has thrown for 482 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite target is senior Anthony LeFever (12 catches for 193 and a score). Senior Jeffrey Dawson has run for 197 yards and three six-pointers.
Defensively, Central allows 350 yards per outing and 35 points.
"Central definitely has some good athletes and seems to be really competitive," O'Brien said. "They are going to be a good challenge for us. I think this is going to be a good match-up for our skilled players. Our offensive line is excited to get after it. We'll rely on our interior line and look to win the game up front. It will be a great atmosphere -- a rivalry type game and our kids are excited for it.
"Being disciplined will be the biggest key for us. We have to play disciplined football and win the line of scrimmage. If we play with discipline, control the line and limit big plays, we'll be in a position to be successful."
From an offensive standpoint, O'Brien's club is averaging 152 yards per outing and eight points.
Senior quarterback Noah Woods, who was injured in the Wellsville game, has passed for 109 yards. Freshman Gage Cline, who stepped in against Toronto, completed 6 of 11 passes for 66 yards and a touchdown.
"Noah is week-to-week right now," O'Brien said. "Gage is in control of the offense right now, and he continues to improve."
Tyler Griffith has 175 rushing yards and two scores to pace Edison. Logan Hanchin is the top Wildcat receiver with five grabs for 66 yards and a touchdown.
Edison's defense allows 391 yards per game and 42 points.
"Edison has some nice-sized kids on the offensive and defensive lines," Agresta said. "We had two tough ones on the road, but this is a good football team we are playing Saturday. Don't pay attention to the record. They do some good things, and they are very good up front.
"They are very well-coached, and they play football the way I learned the game. They understand how to play between the tackles, and they do it well. They take a lot of pride in it, and I respect what they do. The kids know each other, and that adds to everything else that is going on."
Both teams have been stymied early by some injuries.
"We've had some injuries with some of our older guys, so some younger guys are getting a chance," O'Brien said. "Those younger guys are excited and are taking advantage of the opportunities.
"There always are things you see to improve on -- things that need a little more attention. I definitely think our guys have gotten better in a couple of different ways, including understanding how to handle certain situations."
Agresta said his Crusaders are really close when it comes to being back at full strength.
"We'll know more by the end of the week in terms of getting (Alex) Ialenti back," he said. "I think Indy (Marcino) is pretty close to being 100 percent right now. So, we're close and that's definitely going to help us."
Ialenti is a two-year linemen for Central, while Marcino anchors the offensive line from his center position.
GAME NOTES
¯ Central will play five of its last seven games at Harding Stadium. The Crusaders will host Caldwell on Sept. 28, before heading to Lucas the following week. They also have a road date with Madonna on Oct. 26.
¯ Saturday's game starts a four-game road trip for Edison. The Wildcats will visit Beaver Local, Oak Glen and East Liverpool, before returning to Cartwright Memorial Field on Oct. 18 for a date with Weir. They'll finish with home contests against Buckeye Local and Indian Creek.